Sources BBC, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Business Insider, The Guardian,

Smithsonian Magazine, University of Pennsylvania

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OdysseusKing of Ithaca

Main Characters

Family

Ithacans

Gods Athena

Goddess of wisdom

PoseidonGod of the sea

HermesMessenger of

the gods

ZeusKing of the gods

CirceGoddess of magic

CalypsoNymph

PenelopeQueen of Ithaca and

wife of Odysseus

Prince of Ithacaand son of Odysseus

Father of Odysseus

Telemachus

Laertes

AntinousSuitor of Penelope

EurymachusSuitor of Penelope

EumaeusSwineherd

PhiloetiusCowherd

EurycleiaNurse

20 600

6 “feet” 55 feet

Years Odysseus is away from Ithaca, 10 in Troy and 10 journeying home

Men who set sail for Ithaca—all perished except Odysseus

Metrical units each line has in dactylic hexameter, the meter used in the poem

Estimated length of the Ithacan ships, which were light and canoe-like

The Odyssey by the Numbers

Book 1, Lines 1–3

ing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns / driven time and again off course...

Little is know about the life of the blind poet Homer, to whom we attribute The Iliad and The Odyssey. This is partially because poems were passed down orally in Homer’s day and adapted to their telling. Nevertheless, Homer and his work had a great influence on ancient Greek society and continue to fascinate modern readers.

HOMERCIRCA 9TH/8TH CENTURY BCE

Themes

Hubris

Odysseus and Penelope both face temptation as they try to

remain loyal; Odysseus is lured by sirens and goddesses, but Penelope stays true.

The hero’s tragic flaw; excessive pride leads him to taunt the gods, who send obstacles to

prolong his journey.

Stories of homecoming throughout the tale are capped by Odysseus’s eventual heroic return to reclaim his kingdom,

home, and family.

Temptation Homecoming

Helps OdysseusHinders Odysseus

Homer 725-675 BCE Greek

Epic Poem

Author Year Published Original Language

Adventure

The Odyssey

OVERVIEW

OgygiaHeld captive by the alluring nymph Calypso in a 7-year love affair

IthacaDisguised as a beggar, he kills Penelope’s suitors and is reunited with his wife and son

The Long Journey Home

Underworld Visits dead war heroes and learns how to return to Ithaca

Scylla and CharybdisNavigating between the two monsters, he manages to escape destruction

11. THRINACIA

3. ISLAND OF THE LOTUS EATERS

5. AEOLIA6. TELEPYLOS

9. SIRENS

13. SCHERIA

2. ISMARA

7. 8.

12.

4.

The Odyssey is one of the oldest adventure tales, enthralling readers with the clever hero Odysseus’s 10-year journey home after a long war in Troy.

10.

AeaeaHis crew turned to pigs by the witch-goddess Circe, he lives in luxury with her for a year

Island of the CyclopsDisplays his cunning and blinds one of Poseidon’s sons, Polyphemus

1. TROY

2. ISMARA

14.